The present invention is directed generally to a formed waterbed mattress liner tray having spring-like collapsible sidewalls and footwall to receive and support a waterbed mattress in a manner simulating a soft side waterbed. The invention is furthermore directed to such a tray having a contoured bottom wall to adjust the support in different areas of the waterbed mattress to correspond to different body parts. Channels extend longitudinally across contoured riser sections to afford drainage of water to one end of the tray.
Waterbed mattress liner trays are known in the art to provide added assurance against leaks in a waterbed mattress or flexible liner. The liner trays are generally formed of somewhat rigid plastic and with upright sidewalls having little or no vertical compressibility. Such a tray is generally placed within a hard sided waterbed frame to prevent a sleeper from sitting upon the thin upright sidewall of the tray.
Many waterbed users prefer a soft side waterbed because it is easier to get on and off of and because like a conventional mattress and can be used with conventional bed linens. Liner trays with sidewalls extending to the top of the waterbed mattress are unusable in soft side waterbeds because they would interfere with depression of a sidewall when a sleeper sits on one edge of the bed.
Conventional soft side waterbeds generally include a full peripheral compressible support wall which has load bearing characteristics different from the waterbed mattress itself and which reduces the surface area of the waterbed mattress. Tall individuals may necessarily have their head and feet supported on a foam sidewall due to the shortened length of the waterbed mattress itself.
Accordingly, a primary object of the present invention is to provide an improved waterbed mattress liner tray.
Another object is to provide a waterbed mattress liner tray wherein at least each sidewall includes a collapsible wall portion which will collapse under a downward load and expand back to full height upon removal of the load.
Another object is to provide such a waterbed mattress liner tray having a bellows-like spring sidewall.
Another object is to provide such a waterbed mattress liner tray wherein the sidewall includes an upwardly and outwardly inclined portion which cooperates with an adjacent mechanical insulator block to provide collapsible resilient support along each sidewall.
Another object is to provide such a waterbed mattress liner tray having a contoured bottom surface to vary the support for different body parts of a sleeper.
Another object is to provide such a water bed mattress liner tray having a contoured bottom wall with channels therethrough to provide drainage toward one portion of the tray.
Another object is to provide a waterbed mattress liner tray which is simple and rugged in construction, economical to manufacture and efficient and comfortable in use.